I’d like to tell you a story.  It’s a tale which is not directly based on any one person but is representative of what goes on in all too many organisations.  Our story concerns one person and their quest to better themselves, let’s call them Peter.  Last year, in common with the rest of his team Peter had an appraisal.  It was a bit rushed as the manager hadn’t had time to prepare and the department was so busy that it had to be shoehorned into a lunch break but it was an appraisal. 

All the right questions were asked and the team leader identified a need for Peter to improve his IT skills.  The business didn’t offer direct training so Peter was sent away to find an appropriate course.  Reporting back it took a long time for his team leader to respond by which time the course was full so an alternative had to be found.  Then there was a quibble with the accounts team over how this new course was to be funded and that led to further delays and then the team leader refused to let Peter leave slightly early one day a week to get to the course on time so that had to be shelved.  One year on and the appraisal rolled on again and Peter still needed to improve his IT skills but was also being marked down for failing to act on the results of the previous appraisal.

Sound familiar?  If it does then you are not alone because a similar scenario is being played out in businesses across the land.  Rushed appraisals allied to a lack of training support or funding, leading to employees who are faced with the choice of self-funding training in their own time or simply giving up all chance of bettering themselves.  And the root cause in every case is a failing culture which evidences a complete disregard for employees, for their ongoing training and for their levels of engagement.

Much has been written about the merits or otherwise of formal appraisals with some advocating flexible informal reviews taking place as and when needed.  I don’t propose to enter into that debate for now but whether formal or not, it is vital that appraisals are conducted for one reason and one reason only and that is to agree on a plan of action which will better the employee in the long term and thereby help the organisation in its aims.  Rushed appraisals, ill prepared appraisals, are not helpful to anyone and will in fact only serve to alienate the employee. 

Similarly, if the appraisal is likely to lead to the identification of a training need then the business should have already formed a clear policy in respect of time off and budget.  We all, from the CEO to the newest recruit, need some form of ongoing development.  In today’s always-on society that may well take the form of blended learning; with self-study or courses backed up by online and on the job training.  But whatever the training, however it is structured, it has to be offered and accepted with long term development needs in mind.  Get it right and levels of employee engagement soar; get it wrong and at best employees will become uncaring, at worst they will swiftly leave for pastures new.

The moment we stop learning is the moment when we stop contributing.  Employers which take the time and the effort to aid that lifelong learning journey will be richly rewarded by loyal and highly skilled employees.